‘Christkindlmarkt’ to jumpstart holiday festivities Saturday

German Christmas market

November 30, 2017

The German-American Social Club of Cape Coral will celebrate the holidays this weekend.

Christkindlmarkt, an annual German Christmas market, will take place on Saturday from noon to 8 p.m. Free and open to the public, the event will feature local craft makers, authentic German gifts and vendors, as well as horse-drawn carriage rides, a petting zoo, and visits by Santa Claus and St. Nick.

"It's basically where small vendors sell their wares, their gifts," Susie Zimmer, spokeswoman for the German-American Social Club, said. "There's music and good German food and good drinks."

There will be about 30 vendors, including the CW Fudge Factory, Darvy Landscaping, Cold Stone Creamery and The Doener. The Shell Factory & Nature Park will have a petting zoo for the children.

"We'll have some kids' entertainment, as well," she said.

Geier's will offer German gifts, and the German American Ladies Society will have crafts.

"There will be glass etching," Zimmer said.

There will be woodworking, nutcrackers, Christmas ornaments, Advent wreaths and loom work on display. Master steinologist George Schamberger, with Stein Collectors International, will be on hand.

"We have a Santa Claus and a German St. Nick," she said.

Live entertainment will be provided by Hafenkapelle, Edelweiss Chorus and Peter Dee, along with Teresa Mayer and Petra Klos, who performed during Oktoberfest, and The Hot Flashz dancers.

"We'll have continuous music," Zimmer said.

The available foods will include potato pancakes, schnitzel sandwiches, curry wurst, leberkaese and German baked goods and ice cream, along with lebkuchen, stollen, rum cakes, fudge and more.

"We're going to be serving some authentic German food," she said.

Organizers encouraged the public to stop by.

"We really want it to be a community event for the community to enjoy," Zimmer said.